The Phoenix Saga
by phoenix24
Summary: A new girl arrives in Angel Grove. What secret is she hiding? Updated! Ch. 6 now up.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. They belong to Saban, blah,blah,blah

Summary: A new girl arrives in Angel Grove, and captures Jason's attention. But what will happen when               

                 he learns her secret? Please read and review.

**__**

**_The _****_Phoenix_****_ Saga_**

**__**

**__**

"Hey bro! What's up" Tommy Oliver asked Jason Scott as he walked in to their math class.

"Nothin much? Did you hear about the party at the Youth Center next Saturday? " Jason asked as they sat down.

"Yeah, Ernie told me yesterday when I left."

 "We're all going to meet in Billy's garage at 6:30, then walk over there. Wanna come?"

"Count me in." Tommy replied smiling. 

"Now if only Rita would keep to herself." Jason joked. 

"Yeah, but what are the chances of that happening? It's almost like she does it just to bug us." Tommy pointed out. They continued their discussion when a girl hesitantly walked over.

"Excuse me?" she asked. Jason looked up at her. "Is anyone sitting here?" She glanced to the seat next to him.

"Um, no, go ahead."

"Thanks." She sat down and slid her backpack under the chair. My name's Erin. I'm new here. She extended her hand. 

"Jason Scott." He shook it, smiling. "This is my friend, Tommy Oliver." He pointed to the young man in the green shirt beside him. He smiled and said hello. "So, Erin," Jason began, "did your family just move here?"

"You might say that." She answered. He was about to ask her more when the teacher bell rang.

"Ok, class. Open your books to page 58 and begin working the problems 1 through 10. 

Jason opened his book and glanced at Erin. She looked a little nervous.

"Hey, do you have a book yet?"

"No. And the teacher said she won't get any more for about a week." She looked down.

"Well, here, we can share." Jason moved his desk closer to her. She glanced around nervously. "It's ok…. She lets us work together all the time." Glancing around, Erin noticed that everyone was forming there own little groups. 

"All right. Thank you." She smiled at him as they bent their heads together and began talking about everything except what they were supposed to be working on. Tommy shook his head and sighed.

An hour later, Jason and Erin walked out of their math class. 

"So you know where room 227 is?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I'll take you there."

"But don't you have class?"

"Yeah. It's in room 218, right down the hall from yours."

"Oh, ok." The two started to walk off. Tommy walked out of the class behind them.

"Hey Jase," Tommy called after them. "Don't forget, we're meeting at the Youth Center to spar at 4:00." Tommy reminded his friend. 

"I'll be there bro, don't worry." With that he turned around and started talking to Erin again. Tommy shook his head, knowing full well that Jason probably wouldn't show up.

Jason was the last to arrive at Billy's garage on the Saturday night of the party.

"Bout time man!" Zack said, coming up and giving Jason a high five.

"Sorry man, I got tied up." he answered.

"Yeah, showing that new girl around, huh?" Tommy joked. After class last Monday, Jason had volunteered to show the new girl to her classes, then after school he took her around the city, showing her the Youth Center, the park, downtown, everything. It had been a fun afternoon. Since then, they had been spending quite a bit of time together

"Oooo, Jason." Kimberly and Trini croned, jokingly. Jason just smiled at all of them. 

"Come on guys, we're gonna be late." With that they began the walk to the Youth Center.

Erin walked around the apartment, trying to sort through all her boxes to find something to wear. 

"Jason said it was casual." She mumbled to herself. She ripped open her box of clothes trying to find her favorite outfit. "Where did I put that damn shirt?" She worried aloud. She only had about 10 minutes left to get ready. It would only take her about 5 minutes to walk to the place, it was right across from her apartment. She thought back to the afternoon. _ Jason really is a hottie. She pictured him in her mind. She knew he had to work out, seeing how buff he was. They had been together almost all the time since last Monday, when she had met him in class. __Except for those few times when he seems to just disappear. Every now and then, she would go look for him and not be able to find him anywhere. __ It would be so easy for me to find him, to, if I would just.... NO. That part of my life is over. She shook her head to clear it. Jason had told her about the party tonight, and how much fun it would be. She told him she would try to be there, if she could find something to wear. __Which hasn't happened yet! She was beginning to get frustrated. Just as she was about to give up, she spotted the elusive orange and black tank top at the bottom of the box. She pulled it out, quickly changed, fixed her make-up, grabbed her keys, and ran out the door._

Jason, Tommy, Billy, Kim, Trini, and Zack walked in the door of the Angel Grove Youth Center. The place looked awesome. It had bright lights everywhere and strobe lights on the dance floor. Tommy looked over at Kimberly.

"Wanna dance?"

"Yeah, let's go!" The two walked over to the dance floor and began to dance to the fast, upbeat music.

"Well, I'm off to find Angela. Check ya later guys!" Zack walked off in search of his prey. Jason was looking around eagerly. 

"Jason?" Trini asked. No answer. "Jason?" she asked again. Still no answer. "JASON!?!" she practically yelled at him.

"Huh… what?" he looked at her. 

"Are you waiting for someone?" she asked, a smile on her lips.

"Kinda. I told Erin about the party, and she said she would try to make it."

"I see." Trini laughed. Tommy had already told them all about this girl. And about how Jason completely ignored him once she came into the room and sat next to him. "Well, Billy, you wanna dance?" She asked.

"Sure, why not?" Billy was sure glad Zack had givin him a crash course in dancing before the party. The two of them went out to the dance floor. Jason made his way up to the refreshment table. Ernie, the owner of the Youth Center, was standing there.

"Yo, Jason. What's up man?"

"Nothin much, Ernie just waiting for someone."

"I see. Well, here, have something to drink while you wait. You gotta try this new drink I came up with…….

Erin walked into the Youth Center and was amazed. The place looked awesome! Whoever had done the decorating did a great job. She glanced around, but didn't see Jason anywhere. She was beginning to get nervous. _ I shouldn't have come. I don't know anyone here! And I just met Jason. I really don't know that much about him. She clutched her purse tighter as a group of people came in and practically pushed her to the side. She hated being in groups of people where she didn't know anyone. She turned to leave just as two guys walked in, and practically ran into one of them . One was tall and pretty big, the other short and bony. They both looked like they were in need of some serious fashion advice. She had run into the bigger one._

"Hey, watch where your going." He yelled at her. "Wait a minute… you're that new girl in my math class aren't you?"

"Um, yeah, I am. Now, excuse me." She turned to walk around him, but he stepped and blocked her way. "Where do you think you're going? No one leaves until I say so." 

"Yeah, no one leaves until he says so," the skinny one laughed. He had the most annoying laugh.

"I don't think you know who I am…." The big one began, but was cut off.

"Personally, I don't care who you are." Erin said. "Right now I want to leave, so get out of my way." She was getting pissed off that he kept blocking her.

"Or what? Huh? What are you going to do….." 

"That's enough Bulk." Erin turned around; Jason was standing behind her. He had noticed the scene and come up to see what was going on. He was a little surprised to see her standing there.

"Awwww…. Is wittle Jason coming to help out the wittle new girl." Bulk laughed.

"Actually, yes, I am." He walked closer.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Jason." Erin stated. "Trust me, I can take care of this." This made the little man laugh even harder.

"Hey, Bulkie, did ya hear that? She thinks she can take you all on her own!" Again with the annoying laugh. 

"Yeah, I heard her Skull." he responded, amused.

"Look, _BOYS," she began. "I REALLY am not someone you want to piss off." Jason noticed her stance change, just slightly, into a fighting stance. __So, she knows martial arts By this time, Tommy, Kim, and the others had joined him. He glanced at Tommy. He nodded ever so slightly; He had noticed it too. At that moment Bulk and Skull did what they were famous for and lunged at her. Jason stepped in and flipped Skull over as Erin did the same to Bulk. They both fell to the floor and everyone laughed. Jason looked up at Erin and noticed that she looked VERY uncomfortable, almost scared. She was shaking and staring at Bulk on the floor. __I could have easily killed him. I felt the anger inside me… what if I had given in to it. I came here to get away from fighting… she jumped as she felt a hand on her arm._

"Hey. You ok.?" Jason asked her softly. The others were to busy laughing at the would-be bullies to notice.

"Yeah. Yeah." she shook her head and looked up at him. "But I have to go."

"What? Why?" he started

"I just have to…. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"But…." It was too late. She had already run out the door.

"Hey, where'd she take off to man?" Tommy asked.

"I'm not sure."

Erin walked into her apartment, dropped her keys on the table, and fell down on the futon she was using as a couch. Her mind was in turmoil. _How could I let myself do that? I got so angry at him! She shook her head. She knew she had been wrong. She had been so close to losing control. __ It had been so tempting. I was right there, in the right frame of mind and everything! Tears started streaming down her face. __ I came here for a fresh start!!!!  She fell down on the futon and cried herself to sleep. _

Jason stood at the door to his math class Monday morning. He needed to talk to Erin about Saturday night. The others had been to busy laughing, but he had seen the almost panicked look in her eyes after she had flipped Bulk over her shoulder. He needed to find out what was wrong, and she hadn't been answering her phone all weekend. He was still waiting as Tommy walked up.

"Hey, man. What's up?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, nothing really."

"Waiting for Erin?" he smiled.

"Yeah, I am." Jason said.

"Man, you just met. You barely know her, but you've got it bad, don't you." Tommy was laughing at him.

"No, that's not it. I'm worried about what happened Saturday night, when she ran out of the Youth Center." 

"I wouldn't worry about it. She probably just got embarrassed."

"Yeah, but I just want to make sure."

"I understand man, I ……" he stopped as his and Jason's communicators went off. They glanced at each other, and walked over to the locker area, where no one could see them.

"Go ahead Zordon." Jason said.

"Jason, Tommy, I need both of you to teleport to the park. Rita has released the putty patrol."

"We're on it Zordon." Jason turned to Tommy. "Ready bro?"

"Yeah, let's do it." Tommy and Jason were about to teleport out of the locker bank when Erin came around the corner. Jason saw her and put his hand on Tommy's arm to stop him.

"I thought I heard you talking over her Jason. What's up?" She noticed the weird looks on both their faces.

"Um, I don't mean to be rude, um, but, you see…" Jason was trying to find an excuse to leave, but couldn't.

"Sorry, to rush off, but we're late for a meeting." Tommy covered quickly. "We'll catch ya later, ok." With that he practically dragged Jason around the corner. As soon as they were clear, the two teleported to the command center. Back in the hallway Erin was confused. She rounded the corner, expecting to see them hurrying down the hallway, and was shocked to see that they were gone. _What the hell just happened here? she wondered as she turned to her locker and began to put her books up. __They couldn't have made it down the hall and out the doors that fast. Something strange is going on. What the hell have I gotten myself into by coming here? I just wanted a normal life. But I guess that's too much to ask. Shaking her head, she walked down the hallway to math._

 Jason and Tommy got to the park as the others were finishing the last of the putties.

 "Good of you to join us." Zack remarked jokingly.

"Sorry, we got held up." Tommy glanced at Jason. 

"It's not like I told her to show up! Sheesh, gimme a break!"

"Lemme guess…" Kim started. "The new girl again?" They all smiled at Jason. He was about to speak, when Zordon interrupted them.

 "RANGERS. TELEPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTER IMMEDIATELY."        

"You heard the man, let's go." They all disappeared in 6 different colors of light, only to reappear moments later in the command center. "What is it Zordon? Has Rita sent another monster?" Jason assumed leader mode.

"No, Jason. However, we have been getting some unusually strong readings from her moon palace. I just wanted to warn all of you. She is planning something, so be careful."

"No problem Zordon." Zack responded. With that they teleported to the rear of the Youth Center, where they knew no one would ever see them. Talking to themselves, they went around the front of the building and walked in. As they made their way to the counter, Jason saw Erin down on one of the exercise mats stretching.

"Hey guys, I'll catch ya later, ok." he turned and walked over to her. "Mind if I join you?"

Erin looked up, startled. She hadn't noticed him walk up. "Sure." He noticed how good she looked. She was wearing black workout pants and a tight orange shirt, a red ribbon keeping her hair tied back. He sat down and began his own stretching regime. He and Tommy were planning on working out anyway, so he might as well get started. 

"Look, I'm sorry about running off Saturday night. I just got embarrassed. Everyone was staring at me, and I didn't know what to do." She was lying, but she couldn't tell Jason the truth. Not now, and not ever.

"That's ok. I was more worried about the fact that you weren't answering your phone all weekend."

"Oh, sorry about that. I was unpacking some stuff and moving things around, and didn't realize that I had unplugged the phone in the process. I figured it out Sunday night when I dropped my keys behind the table." she smiled. "I wondered why no one had called." They continued talking while they both stretched. Then Erin got up and moved over to the practice mats. Jason followed her.

"So, how many years have you been training in martial arts?" he asked.

"Oh, only a about a two years." she replied.

"Wanna spar?" he asked. "I get kinda tired kicking Tommy's ass all the time."

"I don't think I'm going to be much better….." she hesitated.  She hadn't sparred against anyone in a long time. She preferred to practice alone.

"Oh, come on." he gazed at her anxiously.

"Ok, but not here." 

"Wanna go to the park?"

"Sounds good to me."

"All right, just let me grab my stuff." he picked up his bag, and the two of them walked out together.

     Jason and Erin collapsed under a tree in the park. They had been sparring for about 2 hours, and he was surprised at how good she was. 

"Are you sure you've only been doing this for two years?" he asked. 

"Yeah, what can I say, I'm a quick learner." she laughed. 

"You can say that again. You're almost as good as me." he laid down on the ground, staring up at her.

"Almost?" she threw her towel at him. "I'd say we were pretty evenly matched."

"I was going easy on you." He threw the towel back at her. She caught it. Jason lay down with his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Erin smiled as she silently twirled the towel around. When she was done she aimed at him, paused for a second, then….SNAP!

"Hey!" Jason cried out, jumping up. Erin fell over laughing uncontrollably. "Think that's funny, do you?" Jason grabbed the towel and started twirling it himself.

"Jason Scott, don't you dare!" She pushed herself up and backed away. He got up and started chasing her. She ran.

"Ugh. Look at those two." Rita Repulsa was spying on Jason and Erin from her lookout on the moon. "That power punk isn't even trying to catch her. It's disgusting!" 

"I believe that is what the humans would call flirting, my empress." Goldar replied.

"I know what it is you dumbass. Well, let's break up their fun. Goldar, send in the putties!"

"Yes my queen."

Rita laughed menacingly. "And I'll send in the monster as soon as Finster finishes!"

Jason caught Erin and popped her with the towel a few times.

"Ok, ok, ok! Truce!" she exclaimed.

"Promise?" Jason asked, holding the towel ready.

"Yes. I promise!" she laughed. He let the towel drop, and both of them walked back to the tree and collapsed underneath it. Neither said anything for a few moments; they just lay their, looking at the sky above them. Then Jason spoke.

"So, why did your family move to Angel Grove?" he asked. Erin knew that he would ask that eventually, and she had dreaded when it would come. She hated lying to people, but unfortunately is was necessary. She felt even worse about it with Jason though. She was really beginning to like him.

"My dad got transferred to a firm here." It was the same story she told everyone. 

"Really? That's good. What does your mom do? You have any brothers or sisters?"

"My mom is a daycare worker." That at least wasn't a lie. "And I have an older brother, but he doesn't live at home." Not a lie either. Jason noticed that the subject didn't seem to be one she particularly enjoyed.

"Hey, you wanna go see a movie tonight? With me and the rest of the gang?"

"Oh, I don't want to impose."

"You won't be…. I promise. I'm not going to take no for an answer."

"Well, if you insist." she smiled. "But I should probably go home and take a shower first."

"No problem, I'll pick you up at 7:00." 

"All right." she sat up and began to gather her stuff as Jason stood up. He reached down for her hand and pulled her up. He pulled harder than she expected though, and she ended up losing her balance and landing against him. "Sorry…" she began, then noticed he was staring down at her. _His eyes are beautiful. she thought to herself. Just as she finished the thought, he leaned down towards her. "Jason… I…" he leaned in closer, so their faces were nearly touching. Just as he was about to kiss her, he noticed a flash of gold behind her. _

"Oh shit." he said and pulled away.

"What?" Erin mind was reeling…. she didn't know what was going on. _He had just been about to kiss me..... She stopped in mid-thought as she noticed the weird gray men all around them. She turned to see what Jason was staring at, and gasped as a big, gold-winged, monkey-looking monster stood behind her. Jason dropped into a fighting stance, and she did them same. _

"You goons really know how to ruin things, don't you."

"Um, Jason, what's going on?" Erin asked. "What are these things?"

"The gray things are called putties. They like to terrorize the citizens of Angel Grove. The big hairy ape is their leader, Goldar. Usually he only goes for the Power Rangers, but he's been known to go after unsuspecting people sometimes too." He turned and looked at her, and noticed she was in a fighting stance as well. "Erin, get out of here. You're not going to fight. Go back to the Youth Center and get help."

"You must think I'm nuts! These…things… have both of us outnumbered, no way am I leaving you here alone!"

"Erin, now, get out of here." he was getting frustrated. Any minute Goldar and the putties would attack, and not only did he not want her to get hurt, but he couldn't morph until she left.

"Jason, deal with it, I'm not leaving." At that moment Goldar ordered the putties to attack. The gray men surrounded them, and they turned back to back.

_Damn it __Erin__. Why didn't you listen to me? This would have been a hell of a lot easier if I could morph. His though was cut off, however, as the putties attacked and both teens began to fight _

to be continued……….


	2. ch 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. They belong to Saban, blah,blah,blah

Summary: A new girl arrives in Angel Grove, and captures Jason's attention. But what will happen when               

                 he learns her secret? Please read and review.

**__**

**_The _****_Phoenix_****_ Saga_**

Tommy, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, and Zack were sitting in the juice bar laughing when they heard an all to familiar beeping. They looked at each other, got up, and walked to the locker area of the Youth Center where they wouldn't be noticed easily.

"Go ahead Alpha." Tommy answered.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, Rangers, teleport to the Command Center, immediately."

"We're on are way." They looked away to make sure no one was coming, then disappeared in 5 flashes of light. They landed in the Command Center where Zordon was waiting for them.

"Rangers, look at the viewing globe." They all turned around. "I'm afraid Rita has sent Goldar and the putties after Jason and his friend. They are far outnumbered, and for obvious reasons, Jason can not morph. You need to get her out of there, then take care of Goldar." The rangers turned around. 

"All right Zordon, we're on our….." Tommy was interrupted by Alpha.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi! Rangers, Rita has sent down her newest monster! And he and Goldar are going after Jason! Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi!" 

"Its morphin time!" Tommy yelled.

"Dragonzord."

"Mastodon."

"Pterodactyl."

"Triceratops."

"Sabretooth Tiger."

The five teens morphed into the Power Rangers and teleported to the park to help their friend.

Erin couldn't keep up with Jason in the sea of gray that now seemed to be concentrated on her. It seemed that the monsters' strategy had changed. The putties were coming after her, while Goldar advanced toward Jason. She had to believe that he would be ok. _I could take them all down myself. But I can't bring myself to do it. If I do, there will be no going back. I don't want to lose what I've found here. I'm happy for once! Damn it, why me? She let her concentration slip, and two of the putties got the upper hand. One of them kicked her in the stomach, causing her to double over in pain, and the other slammed its fists into her back. She fell to the ground and the first putty kicked her in the stomach again. She couldn't catch her breath or get up, and the assault kept coming._

  "ERIN!!!!" Jason yelled. He saw the putties overtake her, and ran in her direction. A flash of light appeared in front of her, and one of Rita's monsters landed in between Jason and his target.

"Prepare to meet your doom! The monster kicked, and Jason went flying.

"Jason!" Erin choked out. She tried to get up, but the two putties kept kicking her back down. "You seriously are pissing me off!!! And trust me, you don't want to do that!" She was getting angry, and wouldn't be able to hold it in much longer. She prayed the Power Rangers showed up soon, before she did something she would regret later. 

"Need some help?" she looked up as the putties went flying. The green power ranger stood there, offering a hand to help her up.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Now get out of here and leave them to us."

"But Jason…."

"We'll help him. Just run."

"No! I can help!" 

"Are you deaf? I said get out of here!" The other rangers were already headed toward Jason. The green one just stared at her. She stared back. 

"I'm not leaving without him." she stated resolutely.

"Man, you're stubborn. I didn't want to have to forcefully remove you, but you leave me no choice." He grabbed her arm, and made a short teleport to the woods behind the park. "You'll be safe now." He let go and teleported back to the battle. She stood there stunned for a second. _I don't think so. She ran back towards the sounds of battle in the park._

In a flash of green light, Tommy rejoined his friends.

"Man Jason, you sure know how to pick 'em." the green ranger stated. "Its all clear though, you can morph now."

"Its morphin time!" Jason yelled. "Tyrannosaurus." Jason assumed the mantle of the Red Ranger, and they attacked. Tommy and Jason went after Goldar, while the others went after the monster. The battle was fierce, and seemed to be evenly matched. Unknown to the rangers, Erin had made her way back to the park and was watching from behind the tree that she and Jason had previously been under. _Where is Jason? she looked around, panicking. __I guess they teleported him out, just like they did me. She continued to watch the battle from afar. Suddenly, Goldar leaped over the red and green rangers to where the other monster was fighting. _

"Time to let the rangers see your real power!" Goldar smiled menacingly. The other monster just nodded. The rangers regrouped.

"His real power? Man, he's strong enough as it is!" Zack exclaimed. 

"Be on guard, guys. Who knows what is about to happen." Jason warned them. "Tommy, stay back. You're getting weak, I can tell."            

"I'm ok bro. Just a little winded."

"You heard me. Take it easy." At that moment, the hair around them began to crackle with energy. Erin could feel it all the way over to her hiding place. _This can NOT be good. The monster extended his arms, and energy cascaded all over him. _

"Nice trick ugly, but when do we get to see the real show?" Zack taunted.

"You want to see what I can do ranger? I'll do one better, I'll let you FEEL it!" With that, 6 tendrils of energy extended from his arms, each enwrapping one ranger. They all began to scream in agony..

_He's draining their energy! No! This can't be! Unconsciously, she began to probe the rangers with her abilities. __Their energy levels are dropping to fast. They can't counter it. She stopped as she felt the green one. __He's the worst off. I don't think he had that much to begin with. I have to help them. I can't stand by and watch them die. So much for a normal life. But at least I can be more careful as far as protecting my secret. She concentrated hard, and turned her awareness inward. Finding the center of her being, she tapped into the power that she hadn't used in so long. It was frightening, but comforting at the same time. This was who she was. She had been wrong to deny this part of herself. She could feel the power coursing through her again; she could "hear" the thoughts of millions in her mind. It only took a few seconds to erect the necessary barriers and filters she needed. __Now I'm ready. In a flash, of orange fire, she transformed her workout clothes into her phoenix costume. It was a black full piece leotard, with dark orange armor plating. To it, she added the benefit of a black mask to protect her identity. __Now I'm ready. In a flash of light, she withdrew her sword, leapt over the monsters, and sliced the cords of energy binding the rangers. They fell down to the ground gasping._

"What the….?" Goldar glared at her. "Who are you?" he fumed.

"Your worst nightmare, you overgrown monkey. And as for your little friend there…." she turned around to face the monster who was still reeling from the abrupt disconnect from his victims,"….. he's dead." She leapt up, drew the blade over her head, and sliced down, cleanly chopping the monster in two. Goldar jumped back.

"You'll pay for that, you…."

"You can call me Phoenix."  Goldar lunged at her. As the two swords clanged, the green ranger started to wake up. _Who is that? he thought weakly to himself. He tried to get up to help, but couldn't support his own weight and fell back down. This caught Erin's eye, and she momentarily slipped in her concentration. Goldar took advantage and slashed wide at her. She barely jumped back in time, but still his sword caught her arm, ripping through her costume, and slicing the skin underneath. Suddenly, Rita called to him. _

"Goldar, return to the moon, now!"

"But my queen…."

"NOW!!!!!" he sheathed his sword and turned to his opponent. 

"Next time, Phoenix, you will not be so lucky." With that, he teleported back out to Rita's moon base. Phoenix sheathed her sword, and ran over to the rangers. They were all waking up, even the green ranger, although he was by far the weakest of the group. The red ranger looked up at her.

"Who… who are you?" he choked out. She looked down at him. He turned his head to cough, and when he looked back, she was gone. The other rangers were getting up, slowly. Jason pushed himself up, and went to help Zack with Tommy.

"Man, I think he's pretty bad off, Jase. We should get him to the Command Center and let Alpha look at him." Jason slipped an arm under Tommy, and the six of them teleported out. Erin sat in the tree above them, and watched them go.

They all took off their helmets when they got to the command center. Tommy was deathly white, and could hardly stand on his own. He sat down on the floor while Billy scanned him over. The others waited. 

"He'll be ok." Billy announced. "You just need to take it easy. I wouldn't try to morph for a few days, either. Save the energy."

"Zordon, do you know who that girl was?" Jason turned toward the being in the tube behind him.

"I have no idea, Jason." Zordon answered. 

"I wonder whose side she is on?" Jason wondered aloud. Tommy looked up at him in surprise. 

"She helped us Jason. That should tell you right there."

"Jason's right." Trini spoke up. "This wouldn't be the first time Rita has tried to trick us into believing that someone was on our side when they were really working for her."

"I don't believe you guys." Tommy sighed.

"Well, I don't think we should worry about it right now." Kim stated. "Are you all still up to going to see that movie?"

"Movie…Oh my god! I forgot about Erin! Tommy, where did you 'port her too?" Jason asked. 

"Just into the woods behind the park. She probably went home by now." Tommy replied, leaning his head on the wall.

"So, Tommy, you still up to going?" Kim was set on this movie.

"Kim, we should let him rest." Billy said.

"No, I'm ok." he pushed himself up. "Yeah, I still want to go."

"Ok, let's go then!" They all demorphed and got ready to leave.

"Hey, I'll meet ya'll there. I told Erin I'd pick her up." They all smiled at him, then they teleported out.

She gazed at herself in the mirror. The tears were falling down her face rapidly. _How could I be so stupid. I shouldn't have done that. The moment she had stepped into her apartment, she regretted what she had done. The whole reason she had come to California was to get away from the pain and misery that the Phoenix powers brought with them. She went into the living room, fell down on the couch, buried her face in her hands and wept. __I should have known this would happen. As soon as I get a life and find happiness, it gets wrecked. Like always. She continued weeping, when suddenly her doorbell rang. She sat up with a start. __Who could that be? She walked to the door and looked out the peep hole. __Jason? What's he doing here? She panicked at the thought that he had seen her transform. Then rational thoughts caught up with her, and she realized he was here to take her to the movie that they had planned earlier. She hesitated as she was about to open the door. __I look like crap! With a thought she telekinetically fixed her make-up and the splotchiness that the tears had caused. She glanced into the mirror beside her, and, satisfied with her appearance, reached down to open the door. _

"Jason!" she acted like she hadn't known it was him. She reached out and hugged him. "I was so worried about you! Come in!" The two walked into her living room. 

"I'm fine. I told you the Power Rangers always save the day." He smiled at her. Then he noticed the bandage around her arm, mid-way between elbow and shoulder. "What happened?" he asked concerned. She looked down at her arm._ Shit. I forgot about that. _

"I fell on a rock when those gray guys kicked me down." she lied.

"It looks pretty bad." Jason noticed the blood seeping through the bandages.

"It's ok. It looks worse than it is." Actually, it hurt like hell, but she couldn't tell him that. He looked back up at her.

"Still wanna catch that movie with us?" he asked.

"Oh, I'd forgotten!" she cried. "Of course, just give me a minute to change." She walked back into her bedroom. Jason looked around the apartment. He found the pictures of Erin and who he guessed was her mother on the table beside him. _Wow, they could be twins! he thought. He was still looking at the pictures when she came into the room._

"Ready?" He turned and looked at her.

"Wow, that was fast." She was wearing the same outfit that she had worn to the Youth Center party Saturday night …. a black tank top with cargo khaki pants. Her hair was done in a french braid, and her make-up looked fresh. "Any other girl would have taken at least a half hour."

"Well, I'm not any other girl, am I?" she only half joked. _One of the instances when telekinesis comes in handy. "Come on, we're gonna be late."_

"Shouldn't you tell someone you're leaving?"

"They're all out." she hated to lie, but had no choice.

"Well, then. Let's be on our way!" He grabbed her hand and the two of the walked down to his car, and drove off towards downtown Angel Grove.

By the time they got their tickets and reached the lobby, the others had already visited the snack bar.

"Hey guys!" Zack waved them over.

"Hey man." Jason walked over to them, with Erin's hand in his. "Kim, Trini, Billy, Zack, this is Erin."

"Hi," they all replied.

"Hey Erin." Tommy added. 

"Hi." She answered. She noticed that Tommy was leaning heavily on Kim.

"Hey, what happened to your arm?" Zack noticed the bandage there. Tommy glanced up when he heard that. _Her arm? He noticed the bandage also. __Wait a minute. He listened to her explanation about the putties throwing her against a sharp rock. __I don't remember her bleeding when I teleported her out. Something's not right here. His mind flashed back over the battle. He remembered it all clearly, up to the point when he passed out. __No, she definitely was not bleeding. _

"Tommy? Hello?" Kim called.

"Oh, huh?" He brought his mind back to the present.

"The others already went in. Are you sure you're up to this?" she was concerned.

"Yeah. Just a little worn out. I'll be fine Kim."

"All right. Let's go inside then." The two of them went into the dark theater and found their friends.

Later that night Tommy laid in bed thinking. _Why is this bugging me so much? So she cut her arm, big deal. No, not big deal. Something is going on, and I need to know what it is. He went back over the battle for about the 50th time since he'd lain down in bed. __I'm missing something! He clearly remembered arriving on the scene and arguing with her. Then he had grabbed her and teleported her to the woods. He Jason went after Goldar, then the other monster had attacked. He shuddered as he remembered the feeling of the energy being sucked out of him. __If that girl hadn't shown up, we'd probably all be dead. he jerked up as he realized what was missing.  __I was the first to regain consciousness… The memory played out in his head. He heard swords clanging. Looking up, he saw a strange girl fighting Goldar. She noticed him look up, and lost her concentration. Goldar took advantage of the slip and sliced at her arm, mid way between the elbow and shoulder. __The same arm that Erin had bandaged up. He recalled Goldar calling her Phoenix, then teleporting back to the moon. __Could that really be her? He didn't need anyone to answer his question, he already had a pretty good idea._

to be continued…


	3. ch 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. They belong to Saban, blah,blah,blah

Summary: A new girl arrives in Angel Grove, and captures Jason's attention. But what will happen when               

                 he learns her secret? Please read and review.

****

**_The _****_Phoenix_****_ Saga_**

Tommy leaned against his locker the next day at school. The day was only half over, and he as exhausted. Billy told him he would probably feel tired for a few days. Jason walked up to him.

"Hey bro, how ya feeling?" he asked, opening his locker.

"Like hell, but what else is new."

"You shouldn't have come today. I know how tired I am after yesterday; I can't imagine how you must feel."

"I'll be all right." Tommy shut his locker and the two were about to head to class when Jason's communicator went off.

"Aw man, not again." Jason stepped back. "Go ahead Alpha."

"Jason, teleport to the command center immediately.

"On my way. Tommy, you stay here. We'll call you if it gets to tough."

"Ok bro. good luck." He watched as Jason disappeared in a flash of red light. _Why do I always feel like more of a liability than a part of the team. He knew he was just feeling bad about not being able to go, and he quickly brushed the feelings off. Besides, he had his own task. He walked over to the door to his and Jason's math class and waited for Erin. A minute later she walked up._

"Hey Tommy, have you seen Jason? He was supposed to meet me here?"

"Yeah, he wasn't feeling to well, so he went to the nurse's office."

"Oh."

"But actually, I need to talk to you anyway."

"What about?"

"Not here. Let's go to the park."

"Tommy, it's the middle of the day. We still have two more classes."

"I know, but it's important."

"Tommy, I'm not skipping class." She walked around him towards the door to their class.

"Not even about how you defeated Goldar yesterday at the park?" he took a gamble. She stopped dead in her tracks, then turned around slowly. "Yeah, I know who your are." She walked over to him.

"How the hell did you figure out who I am?" she asked, her voice threatening. The fear in her eyes startled him. She glared at him for a moment, then began to probe him slightly. Her eyes opened wide when she realized who he was. _That energy signature! I know it!.  "You're the g…"_

"Not here." He repeated. Without another word, the two of them walked out of the building and headed towards the park.

Not a word was spoken until they sat down on one of the benches in the park. Erin was the first to break the silence.

"You're the green ranger." It was a statement, not a question. She looked up at him.

"Yes, I am. And you are…" he trailed off uncertainly.

"Phoenix." she answered quietly. She had never expected her secret to come out so soon. In her heart, she knew that someone would eventually figure it out. Staring at the ground, tears began to fall down her cheek. _I guess this means that I'll have to leave here, too…_

Tommy noticed the tears. 

"Hey, are you ok?"

"Yeah. I just guess this means I'll have to start looking for somewhere else to move to." 

"What? Why?" Tommy started.

"You've probably already told Jason and the others by now…." she stopped mid-sentence. _Jason! Tommy's the green ranger, and there are six power rangers… She looked up at him expectantly. "Jason and the others… they're rangers too, aren't they?" Maybe she wouldn't have to leave after all. If Jason had a secret like hers, maybe things would be all right._

Tommy nodded, his face grim. _Oh man. How am I going to tell her that Jason suspects her of working for Rita? "Yeah, they are. Which means we have a problem."_

"What?" she asked.

"Well, the other rangers aren't exactly sure that you are on our side. You see, Rita Repulsa, the one who is responsible for the attacks on Angel Grove, has sent monsters in the past to befriend them, then turn around and try to kill them." Erin's heart sank.

"Have you told them yet? I mean, who I am?"

"No. I wanted to make sure I was right first. Plus, I wouldn't do that. Jason deserves to hear it from you."

"I can't tell him now! He'd hate me! Just like everyone else…" she trailed off. _I care about him so much. I know I haven't known him that long, but I think I am falling in love with him! She began to cry quietly._

"What do you mean, just like everyone else? No one here hates you." She wiped at her eyes and looked straight at him.

"Not anyone here." She began slowly. "Tommy, I didn't come to Angel Grove because my dad got transferred." Her head dropped again. "My father kicked me out. When he found out what I was. He thought I was evil." _Which isn't untrue. But there is no need to tell him that. She continued. "I moved to Angel Grove and got my own apartment. That's why I don't ever let anyone over. I can't answer the questions about where my family is."_

"Erin, I'm sorry. But what about your mom, or your brothers or sisters?"

"My mom didn't know what to think. She loved me, but at the same time, she was scared of me. Eventually, my dad convinced her that I was to dangerous to stay at home. As for my brother, he's ok with it. He actually helped me get the lease, but my dad threatened to disown him if she stayed with me. I still hear from him occasionally, but even that is starting to taper off." Tommy didn't know what to say. She had been through so much. _I understand why she doesn't want to tell Jason. It's obvious she likes him, and she doesn't want him to turn her away like her family did. He looked and saw she was crying again. He reached over and gave her a hug._

"Don't worry. I won't tell Jason. I'll let you do that when you're ready."

"Thank you Tommy. You don't know how much that means to me." They sat there for a moment, until she stopped crying. _It's a good thing Kim's not here. I'd have a lot of explaining to do. Erin pulled away, and wiped away her tears._

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I forgot about what would happen if Kim happened to walk up."

"How did you…." he glanced at her. She smiled and laughed a little.

"I'm a telepath. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to read your mind. It's just that when I let my emotions get out of control, sometimes I lose control of my powers." She shuddered. Tommy noticed it.

"What?" 

"I was just thinking about the time when I first realized that my powers were tied to my emotions." her mind drifted back to that day. "I was in the seventh grade. I'd had a bad day at school, kids were always teasing me, and I was really pissed off. I had to walk home. On the way, I saw a kitten that was stuck in a tree. I used my telekinesis to float it down to the ground. As I walked off, I heard growling and barking. I ran back and saw that a dog had killed the kitten. I looked at the dog and got really mad. Then it happened. I felt a tug, and I let lose a huge energy blast that incinerated the dog. I mean, completely destroyed it. Nothing left. I ran home and locked myself in my room for the rest of the day. At that point I realized that I had to guard my emotions VERY carefully, or I could kill everyone I loved. I couldn't afford to be a child anymore. I had to grow up right then and there. Over the next two years, I continued to get stronger and stronger. Then one day I slipped, and let my powers show at home. That was when everything went downhill, and I was forced to move here." She looked up at Tommy, waiting to see his reaction.

"Seventh grade? How long have you had these powers?"

"Since I was in the sixth grade. About 11 year's old." she dropped her head.

"Wow." They both sat there in silence. Suddenly, beeping came from Tommy's communicator. Erin looked at him surprised.

"Go ahead Zordon." he spoke into it.

"Tommy, the other rangers are in trouble. Rita's energy drain monster has returned. Teleport downtown immediately."

"On my way." He got up.

"Wait, Tommy. You're energy level is too low to fight that thing again!"

"I don't have a choice. It's morphin time! Dragonzord!" Suddenly the green power ranger was standing before her.

"Impressive," she smiled. "But I think mine tops that." Her eyes went completely white, reminding Tommy of a little kid rolling his eyes up into his head. Then it was like her entire body was on fire. He jumped back. In a sudden flash, the fire disappeared and she had on a black body suit, orange armor, and a black mask. A sword was sheathed at her side.

"Nice, very nice. Now let's go." In a flash of green light and orange fire, the two friends teleported to the battle. Tommy landed on the ground in front of his fallen teammates, Erin landed behind them. As Tommy rushed the monster, Erin headed to the rangers. Starting with the pink one, she placed a hand on them, and used her own energy to replenish what the monster had stolen. Last was the red ranger. As she let her energy flow into him, she sensed the strong presence and determination about him. _This has to be Jason. He started to come around, and sensing someone with a hand on him, he looked up. He was surprised to see the girl that had come to their aid the day before. He hurriedly slapped her hand away. She fell to one knee, breathing heavily. __That took a lot out of me… I need to remember that I'm not up to full strength yet. She looked at Jason, and he stared back at her._

"Go away," he yelled. "We don't need, or want, your help.

Frustrated, Erin looked up at him. "Really? Is that so? Would you have preferred me to leave you lying on the ground there, so when that monster is finished with your friend, he could kill you?" she replied sarcastically. She struggled, trying to get up_. Oh, man. Tommy's not doing good. Jason thought, looking to his friend__. Sure enough, the monster had the green ranger down on one knee and was pressing forward._

"Rangers, come on. Let's help him!"

"Right." They were all up by now, and they ran to take on the monster. They drew him away from Tommy, and he collapsed to the ground. Erin ran over to him. _Tommy?__ Tommy, answer me! she called to him telepathically. She scanned him over, and found that his energy was deathly low. She grabbed his arm and started to transfer her energy to him, when suddenly she got light headed, and everything turned green. Seconds later she opened her eyes and was shocked to see that she was in some sort of room, with all sorts of machines and computers everywhere. __No time to worry about that now. She pulled Tommy's helmet off, and put her hands on either side of his head. She reached down into the core of her being, sensing the untapped, raw energy there. She let it flow out of her and into the injured ranger. Seconds turned into minutes, as it was a slow process. She didn't notice as 5 different colors of light teleported into the command center. She was too focused on helping the only person who had ever accepted her for what she was. _

Jason watched as his best friend glowed orange.

"Zordon, what the hell is going on?"

"From what I can tell, Jason, this girl is re-energizing Tommy. Much like she did the five of you."

"But Zordon, what if she works for Rita?" Kimberly asked, full of concern for her boyfriend.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi, rangers, I don't think it matters right now. Tommy would have died if not for her."

"I don't care," Jason responded. "I want her out!" At that moment, Erin broke her link with Tommy gasping for air. Blurry eyed and exhausted, she looked up at the other rangers. She could feel the hatred and animosity rolling off Jason. He glared at her.

"Get out. Now."

"What, no 'thank you for saving my ass, and the life of my friend?'" she responded sarcastically. _I am in no mood to put up with his bull-shit. She stood up. "Fine, I'll leave. Just remember that without me, you'd all be dead right now." She stood up and in a burst of fire, teleported out. The rangers looked down as they heard Tommy groan._

"Man, I feel like I just got run over by a freight train." he stood up, with the help of his friends. "Where'd she go? Where's Phoenix?" 

"So her name is Phoenix, huh?" Jason asked. 

"Yeah. And she saved all our lives." Tommy recognized the look in his best friends eyes as they all demorphed. "Don't tell me you still don't trust her?"

"No, Tommy I don't. And now she knows who you are."

"Trust me, Jase. She's on our side. I know." Jason looked at him suspiciously.

"Really? And how is that?"

"Just trust me on this one bro."

"No. I'm not risking the lives of this team and the citizens of Angel Grove." In a burst of red light, Jason Scott teleported out of the command center. Tommy watched as the others followed, and, shaking his head, left as well.

Back in here apartment, Erin was sitting on the bathroom floor, having just thrown up every bit of her lunch. _Man, I really need to take it easier. My body can't handle that kind of pressure yet. I need to slow down. Her thoughts turned to the hatred directed at her by Jason and the other power rangers. __Why does everyone I love hate me when they find out who I am? She laid her head on the cool tile floor and began to cry._

"Hey, Tommy, have you seen Erin today?" Jason walked up to Tommy in the Youth Center.

"No. Why?"

"Well, she wasn't in class today. And it's not like her to miss." Jason was looking around the gym area, trying to find his girlfriend. "I was supposed to meet her here to go workout in the park. She always calls if she can't make it. I just have a bad feeling about this." He looked up at his best friend. "Hey, wanna come over to her apartment with me? I just want to make sure she is ok."

"Yeah, sure." _I just hope she's there and didn't decide to take off. Tommy grabbed his stuff and began to walk out with Jason._

"By the way, how are you feeling bro?" Jason asked. Tommy knew that he was referring to their encounter with Rita's energy drain monster, and then Phoenix healing him.

"Man, I haven't felt this good in awhile." he replied honestly. "I have more energy than I have had since regaining the green powers." They walked out the door. The apartment complex where Erin lived was only about a 10 minute walk from the Youth Center. Jason eyed him skeptically.

"Are you sure you're ok?

"Yeah man." he paused. "I know what you're driving at Jase. You want to make sure I'm ok after all the energy Phoenix put into me. And I am. And you forget, she did the same thing to you and all the other guys. I really think you should give her a chance. She's not evil." _And you are in love with her too._

"Tommy, I wish I could believe that, really I do. There's just something about her that I don't trust. And I'm not willing to put lives on the line because of it." They had reached the parking lot of Erin's apartment complex. Neither one of them saw her car anywhere. "That's strange. Her car's not here." Jason observed. "Come on, let's go up." The two friends climbed the stairs to the third floor. They walked down the hall, and Jason knocked on the door. A few minutes later he heard the door unlocking and Erin stood in the doorway, and she didn't look well.

"Jason, Tommy. What are you doing here?" She hugged her arms to her chest. She was wearing a sweatshirt that she had actually stolen from Jason one day in class (making it huge on her) and black shorts. Her hair was pulled back and she was sweating. 

"We wanted to see if you were ok. You weren't in school today and I was worried." Jason reached forward and rubbed her back. "Let's go inside, you look like you should be sitting down." She nodded and ushered the two inside. She sat down on the couch and pulled her blanket back over herself.

"I'm ok. It's just the flu." Tommy stared at her, knowing it was a lie, but Jason didn't seem to notice and bought it. He sat down next to her, and Tommy took the chair across from them.

"I'm sorry you're feeling bad." he pulled her closer to him, and she laid her head down comfortably on his shoulder. He held her there for a second when she jumped up and bolted to the rest room. Jason got up to go after her, but Tommy stopped him.

"Hey, I'll go make sure she's ok, you go in the kitchen and get her a glass of ice water." Jason nodded, and went to look around in the kitchen. Tommy headed to the bathroom and found her sitting on the floor in front of the toilet. He grabbed a wash cloth and ran it under the cold water, then sat down next to her and placed it on her face.

"I know you're lying. What's going on?" he spoke in hushed tones so Jason wouldn't overhear. 

"Simple." She looked at him. "I put to much strain on my body yesterday. It's not used to handling the levels of power that I had to tap into to." Tommy wiped her face with the towel. "I should be fine by tomorrow. Trust me, this has happened before. It's nothing really. I just need to take it slower and let my body adjust to the changes. It's been about a year since I last did anything major like that with my powers" She sighed. Tommy stared at her for a second.

"All right. Just do me a favor and call me if something like this happens again. I'm a friend, and I want to help you."

"I promise." she smiled as Jason came in and handed her the water. "Thank you." she took a sip, but felt nauseous again, so stopped. The two guys helped her up and back into the living room. She lay down on the couch, her head in Jason's lap and closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep. Tommy watched the two of them. _They really do care about each other... I just don't know how Jase is gonna take it when he finds out who she is… Tommy looked at his friend and motioned that he was going to leave. He nodded, and Tommy left. Jason was there alone with his girlfriend asleep in his lap, and he felt very happy. He leaned his head back against the wall and fell asleep himself._

A few hours later Jason woke up. He looked down and noticed that Erin wasn't there. Then he heard the shower running. _Man, what time is it? He looked around and found a clock; it was 7:00. He stood up and stretched. __Man, I didn't realize I was that tired. The shower stopped and a few moments later Erin came out of the bathroom, wearing his red sweatshirt and a pair of black cotton pants with her hair up in a towel. Even exhausted Jason thought she was beautiful. He smiled at her._

"So I guess I'm not getting my sweatshirt back, huh?" he joked.

"Nope. It's real comfy." she smiled.

"Feeling any better?"

"Yeah, actually I am. I guess it was one of those 24-hour things. I'm still exhausted though." she sat sown on the couch and grabbed her blanket. She reached for the remote control and turned the TV on. Jason sat down next to her and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I promise I won't run off this time." she joked. He put his arms around her and drew her closer to him.

"What time do your parents get off?" 

"Um, they won't be back for a while." she told him.

"Ok. Well, I hate to do this, but I should go. My mom is really strict about being home for dinner. Will you be ok till they get here? Cause if not I'll stay…."

"No, I'll be fine. Really, I will, so go." she playfully pushed him away. He gave her a hug, and then stood up. They walked to the door.

"You'll be at school tomorrow, right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll be there."

"Good." He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "See ya tomorrow then."

"Bye." He walked off down the stairs and she closed the door smiling. She walked back over to the couch and crashed, not even remembering to turn the TV. off. _So this is what it feels like to be happy again. She fell into a deep, dreamless sleep__._

to be continued…


	4. ch 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. They belong to Saban, blah,blah,blah

Summary: A new girl arrives in Angel Grove, and captures Jason's attention. But what will happen when 

he learns her secret? Please read and review.

**__**

**__**

**_The _****_Phoenix_****_ Saga_**

**__**

**__**

"Billy, man, come on. I just need you to explain this to me in simple terms." Zack was exasperated. He had a chemistry test the next day, and still didn't understand the material.

"I did explain it simple!" Zack began beating his head on the table. Jason, Erin, Tommy, Kim, and Trini laughed at him.

"Hey, Zack, keep doing that and you can give yourself a concussion. Then, tomorrow morning, go to the nurse and you can get out of your test!" Jason joked. Everyone laughed at Zack, who seemed to consider the idea. 

"Ok, look, it's real simple…." Billy began to explain it again to his bewildered friend. Jason got up and pulled his girlfriend Erin with him. The two had been dating steadily since she arrived in Angel Grove about a month ago. Jason knew he was falling in love with her. He even had the urge to tell her who he really was, since he was always taking off on her. _She's going to figure it out sooner or later. Why shouldn't I just tell her? He glanced over. She had never once acted like his constant disappearing bothered her. When he apologized one day, she had told him not to worry about it, that she understood and didn't expect to know everything that went on in his life. That had made him love her even more. They continued on in silence, hand in hand, til they got to the tree by the lake. This was the place they loved to go to relax. They could just sit there, sometimes talking, but mostly just enjoying each other's company. Jason sat down against the tree, and Erin fell down into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, and she settled against him comfortably. _

Erin closed her eyes and thought back on the short amount of time she had known him. _ I can't believe I've only known him for a month, but I'm already head over heels for him. She knew of only one thing that could possibly come between them, and that was the secret she was keeping. The secret that she was the Phoenix. As the red power ranger, Jason didn't trust Phoenix. He believed that she was employed by Rita. Over the past two weeks, Rita had been unusually active, sending a monster about every other day. And after every one of those battles, Jason had come up and practically threatened to kill her if she didn't go away. She usually responded with some sarcastic comeback about saving his ass yet again. __I just can't help it. I become so unlike myself when I use my powers. They change me… She shuddered as she thought of what would happen if she ever lost control of them. _

Tommy Oliver glanced over at his best friend and his girlfriend lying under the tree. _Wow, they look so happy. I hope everything works out for them, especially when her secret comes out. I don't think Jason would still distrust her, but I'm not sure. _

Kimberly caught her boyfriend staring at Jason and Erin.

"Hey, Tommy. Earth to Tommy, hello?" she waved her hand in front of his face. Tommy shook his head to clear off the thought, then smiled at her.

"Sorry, just thinking."

"That's ok. We were just saying that we were gonna head to the Youth Center. You gonna join us?"

"Yeah, lets go." They all started to get up when a familiar beeping sounded from Tommy's communicator. They groaned, then looked around to make sure the coast was clear.

"This is Tommy."

"Tommy, Rita has sent a monster to downtown Angel Grove."

"Right, we're on our way."

"We'll go on ahead. You find some way to get Jason away from Erin." Kim told him. He nodded.

"Its morphin time!" Trini called.

"Mastodon."

"Pterodactyl."

"Triceratops."

"Sabretooth Tiger!" In a flash the rangers were gone.

_Now, how do I do this? Tommy thought to himself. __Erin. he called out to her__. Yes Tommy? A monster is destroying downtown Angel Grove. Ok. I'll tell Jason I have to go, that I forgot something. Then I'll join up with you there. Ok. He began to walk over to where they were sitting. He saw Erin look at her watch._

"Oh no, Jason, I forgot! I was supposed to be home an hour ago." he heard her say. "Call me later, ok!" She scrambled to gather her stuff, then took off in the direction of her house. Tommy jogged up to his best friend. 

"Hey bro, what's up?"

"Rita sent a monster downtown. The others are already there."

"All right, lets go. Its morphin time!"

"Dragonzord."

"Tyrannosuarus!" In a flash they were gone, oblivious to the orange flash of light that followed them.

"My Empress!"

"What is it Goldar? My monster is trashing the city, and I'm busy watching!"

"I just thought you would like to know who this Phoenix really is."

"What?!" Rita Repulsa turned away from the site on Earth. "How did you find out who she is?"

"I was going to attack the red and green rangers in the park, but they teleported out before I got the chance. I did, however, see a very interesting site. As soon as they were gone, Jason's girlfriend transformed into Phoenix and followed them."

"Jason's girlfriend? Oh, this is too good! The red ranger despises her! It'll break him to find out she has been lying to him! Pull the monster out of battle. We need to come up with a plan to expose her, and break the red ranger completely!"

"Yes, and without a leader, the rangers will fall, and earth will be yours forever!"

"Yes!" she cackeled.

"KIM!" Tommy yelled. Rita's monster threw her against a wall. He didn't have enough time to worry though, as he was next. The monstor kicked him in the gut, and he slammed into a wall opposite Kim. Billy and Trini rushed him next. After a few moments of fighting, they were kicked aside as well. Zack charged, his power ax in hand, but never even got close, as a burst of energy shot out of the creatures eyes, and the black ranger fell to the ground. Jason was next, along with Phoenix. They both drew there blades, and rushed him, but stopped short when Rita appeared above them all. 

"Return to the moon, now."

"But my queen…"

"DO NOT QUESTION ME!!!"

"Yes, my empress." They both began to fade away. "We will meet again rangers. And then you won't be so lucky!" With that, he was gone. Jason ran over to his friends, where they had regrouped. After making sure they were ok, he turned to Phoenix, who was watching them closely, and using her own powers to make sure they were ok. He approached her slowly.

"This is the last time I'm going to tell you this. Leave. Go back to the moon. Tell Rita she can't fool us. We know that you work for her. We will never trust you. NEVER." That stung her. Her mind flashed back to the day her dad had kicked her out. He had told her the same thing. And he had called her a monster. A tear slid down her face, under her mask, so no one noticed. She turned to walk away. 

"What, no sarcastic comeback this time? I guess you finally realized this plan wouldn't work, huh?" She kept walking. Jason turned back to his friends, when suddenly a burst of energy struck him, and Phoenix, and in a flash they were both gone.

"JASON!" Trini yelled.

"What the hell just happened?" Zack asked.

"I don't know." Tommy replied. "But it's probably not good."

"Phoenix is gone too." Kim pointed out. "I bet it was her."

"We should get to the Command Center, now." Billy stated. With that, they all teleported out.

Jason groaned aloud as he noticed the swirling mist around him.

"Not this place again." he mumbled.

"You know where we are?" Jason jumped at the voice behind him. He turned to see Phoenix pushing herself up.

"Quit playing games. You know exactly where we are. Why did you bring me here?"

"I didn't do anything to you." she replied, sighing.

"Yeah, right." They both stood there for a moment. Jason started looking for a way out, in spite of knowing full well that there wasn't one. He finally gave up and leaned against the wall, staring at the ceiling. She dropped her head.

"Why do you hate me so much?" she asked quietly. He looked at her. "All I've ever tried to do is help you." She sounded like she was about to cry. Jason paused_. Have I been wrong? She sounds sincere. And she's right, all she's ever done is help us. She stared at him. "I just want you to trust me, Jason." She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth. He tensed up and glared at her._

"How in the hell do you know who I am?"

"I…."

"Silence!" Both teens jumped at the sound of a new voice in the room. It was Goldar.

"What do you want you hairy ape?" Jason challenged him.

"That's no way to act towards someone with a surprise for you, is it?"

"What are you rambling about?"

"This!" He held his sword out towards Phoenix. With an evil laugh energy leapt out and enveloped her. She screamed and fell to the floor. Her costume flashed, and she felt herself reverting back to her original form_.__No! Not now! This can't be happening. How did he know? She reinforced her shields, and Goldar upped the strength of his blast. She grabbed her head as pain ripped through her skull. She lost her concentration, and immediately her costume and mask disappeared, leaving her in street clothes. Goldar continued laughing, and teleported them back to the park._

"I found them! They both just reappeared in the park. Coming up on the viewing globe." Alpha told the rangers gathered in the Command Center. They all turned to look.

"Oh my god! She's Phoenix?" Kim breathed.

"Get both of them here, now." Tommy stepped forward.

"But Tommy…" Zack began.

"Now." he ordered.

"Teleporting now."


	5. ch 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. They belong to Saban, blah,blah,blah

Summary: A new girl arrives in Angel Grove, and captures Jason's attention. But what will happen when he learns her secret? Please read and review.

**_The _****_Phoenix_****_ Saga_**

"Jason, I can explain…"

"Really?"

"I…"

"Because I'd sure as hell like to know why in God's name you lied to me. You knew who I was. You knew how I felt. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't."

"Why?" he yelled. Everything went fuzzy for a minute as the two were teleported from the park to the command center. When he realized where they were, Jason ripped off his helmet and threw it across the room. Erin cringed.

"Jason, please…" she started. Jason, however, wasn't going to let her get a word in.

"I don't know what kind of games you're into playing, but I don't want any part of it," he growled menacingly. "Stay away from me."

"But Jason, I ..."

"Did you hear me? I said stay away," he yelled, an inch from her face. The other Rangers stood staring. They had never seen Jason this out of control. He usually kept his cool, even when angry.

"Jason, man, c'mon. Give her a chance to explain." Tommy tried to reason with his best friend. "She has a good reason for what she did." Jason whipped around and glared at his best friend, betrayal evident in his eyes. 

"You knew?" he said. "You knew the whole time, and never told me? How could you keep something like this from me?"

"It wasn't my place to tell you."

"Not your place? That's bull shit. You know, since the two of you like to keep secrets so much, why don't you just have each other. Both of you stay the hell away from me." With that, the ranger demorphed and teleported away. For a second they all just stood there and stared at each other. Erin closed her eyes and dropped to her knees. Tommy walked over and bent down next to her.

"Hey." he said softly.

"I knew it Tommy." she told him quietly. "I knew he'd hate me." Tears silently ran down her cheeks. Trini joined Tommy next to the sobbing girl.

"He doesn't hate you. He's hurt. Hurt that you didn't trust him enough to tell him who you were."

"It's not that I didn't trust him. He didn't trust me. He thought I was working for Rita."

"Erin, Jason has a lot of weight on his shoulders. As the Power Rangers, we are responsible for innocent lives. We protect everyone. As our leader, Jason feels even more responsible. Rita's tried stunts like this before," she glanced at Tommy. "Give Jason some time to sort things out."

"Erin, I have never seen Jason as happy as he is with you." Kimberly stepped forward. 

"And I was never happier than when I was with him," she whispered. 

"So give him time." Trini smiled at her. "He'll come around."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah. I do." Trini and Kim kept reassuring Kim, as Tommy slipped away. 

"Yo, man, where ya going?" Zack asked.

"To talk to Jase. And knock some sense into him if I have to." With that, Tommy teleported out of the command center. Billy looked at Zack, then at the three girls. 

"This is turning out to be very interesting."

Jason stopped to take a breath from beating the crap out of a punching bag at the Youth Center. It really helped to be able to take his frustrations out on something. _What in the hell were they thinking? Why would they keep something like this from me? I thought she cared about me. He resumed beating the crap out of the bag, trying to get the thoughts out of his head. __He knew. She trusted him more than me. She… His thoughts were interrupted as he saw Tommy approach him._

"Go away Tommy."

"No."

"I don't want to talk to anyone right now, especially you."

"Tough. You're going to listen."

"No, I'm not." Jason picked up his things and began to walk away. Tommy grabbed his arm to stop him. What he didn't expect was for Jason to flip him over. He hit the ground with a loud "oomph."

"I said leave me alone." By this time the whole place was staring at them, wondering what could have come between the two friends.

"Jason, man, if you want to fight me, fine. But you're going to listen to what I have to say." Tommy told the other, while pulling himself up off the floor. He barely dodged the kick aimed at his head._ He could have taken my head off with that kick! He's serious about this! Tommy assumed a defensive stance and waited for the next assault that was already on its way. He blocked the fist aimed for his right side, then swept Jason's legs out from under him. The other ranger fell flat on his back, rolled over, stood up, and went after his friend again. Everyone in the Youth Center watched in awe as the two friends fought each other, blocking and attacking tirelessly.  _

"Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi! Rangers, look!" Alpha pointed to the viewing globe. The rangers, and Erin, turned to see what had gotten the robot so worked up. It didn't take long however. They watched silently as their two teammates fought in the Youth Center. 

"This is all my fault." Erin whispered. Her eyes were wide with fear. "I have to stop them." With that, she used her powers to teleport out of the command center, to a secluded area outside of the Youth Center. Once she got her barings, she ran inside and pushed her way through the crowd. She stared in horror as Jason and Tommy continued to fight. Zack, Billy, Trini, and Kim ran in behind her. 

"Aw man, this is bad." Zack observed. 

"Agreed." Billy stated.

"Guys, we have to do something before they kill each other!" Kim cried. 

"C'mon." Trini started to move out toward the two, but Erin beat her to it. She ran out to the two, just as Tommy hit the ground. She moved between them, so hopefully neither would try anything.

"Jason, please, stop this." He paused for a second, then turned away from her, and went to gather his things. "Jason, please, just listen to me." She walked over to him. Kim, Trini, Zack, and Billy were helping Tommy up off the ground. Jason picked up his stuff and began to walk out. "Jason!"

"Look, I don't want to see you right now. Just leave me alone!" With that he walked out of the gym, and left a stunned crowd behind him.

to be continued…


	6. ch 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers. They belong to Saban, blah,blah,blah

Summary: A new girl arrives in Angel Grove, and captures Jason's attention. But what will happen when he learns her secret? Sorry it's been so long since I updated, but college life tends to suck up my free time. I'll try to get the next chapter out by the end of the weekend though!

**__**

**_The _****_Phoenix_****_ Saga_**

**__**

Erin sat on the warm sand, knees pulled up to her chest, looking out over the waters of the lake. It was late, but she didn't feel like going back to her apartment. This was her favorite place to come when she needed peace. The waters were calm and dark, and the moon reflected off of them just right, providing all the light she needed. Normally, this was a very calming place. But today wasn't a normal day. Today her world had been turned upside down. Jason, and the others, now knew her secret … who, no what, she was.   

_And Jason didn't want anything to do with me. Just like my parents.___

 She set her chin down on her knees, and thought back to the day her parents had found out. A tear slid down her cheek. 

_He told me I was going to hell for what I was. That I was evil. He didn't want me anywhere near him; he was ashamed at me for having gotten involved with "witch-craft." At least that's what he thought it was. I guess it was my fault, to a point. I did accept these powers. But who wouldn't have? I lost everything that day. My family, my home, my life. I was forced to leave, and I couldn't tell anyone why, so I lost my friends as well. _

By this time she was sobbing silently. 

_I was so lost when I got here. But then I met Jason, and Tommy, and the others. I started to feel like I could be happy again. But I guess I should have known better. I'm not meant to be happy. _

She closed her eyes and sighed, then went back to staring at the water.

Jason stood in his backyard, staring up at the full moon, wondering what Rita had up her sleeves. With a shake of his head, he slipped into a relaxing kata. He did this on nights when things got to be too much and he couldn't sleep. This was a common occurrence lately, what with having to balance his Ranger duties and trying to live a semi-normal life.  The day's events came rushing into his thoughts. First the encounter with Rita's monster, then being sent to the dark dimension, then the revelation by Goldar that his girlfriend was in reality Phoenix. 

_How could he have known that if she didn't work for them? _

He knew that was unfair. He really didn't think that Erin was working for Rita anymore. Even if he didn't know a thing about Phoenix, he did know his girlfriend. 

_At least I thought I did._

 What he was more upset about now was the fact that she had lied to him, but told his best friend who she was. And his best friend hadn't even had the decency to tell him.  As his anger rose, he shifted into a more energetic kata, punching and kicking in an effort to wear himself out. After awhile he finally succeeded, and slip down against a tree in an effort to catch his breath. With a sigh, he pushed himself up and walked home.

Billy, Tommy, Kim, Zack, and Trini gathered outside Angel Grove High the next afternoon, as soon as school was out. 

"Hey guys, have any of you seen Jason or Erin today?" Zack asked.

"Neither of them were in math today." Tommy answered.

"Erin wasn't in English." Kim added.

"Jason wasn't in biology." Billy noted.

"I don't think Jason really wanted to see anyone today. Remember what he told Erin about not wanting to see her anymore?" Trini said.

"Yeah." They all agreed.

"Maybe we should split up and go talk to them." Kim suggested.

"I'll talk to Erin. The rest of you go find Jason." Tommy told them.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you Tommy?" she asked.

           "I'm sure. I think I stand the better chance at getting her to open up. And I really think she's going to need someone to talk to."

"All right. We'll go find Jason." She turned to Trini. "We should try the Youth Center first."

"I agree." With that they turned and went their separate ways.

"My plan is working perfectly Goldar!" Rita Repulsa cackled. 

"With the Red Ranger distracted, they are effectively leaderless!" Finster stated.

"Now would be the perfect time to send your monster back to Earth!" Scorpina grew excited.

"He will crush the Power Rangers!" Goldar added.

"And Earth will finally be mine!" 

Jason was in the process of beating up a very defenseless punching bag when Trini approached him. He had seen his friends come in, but still didn't feel like talking to them, so he ignored them. They had grabbed a table and ordered drinks, all the while watching their friend and leader. Trini decided it would be best if only one of them went up to him.

"Jason."

"Trini."

"Feel like talking?"

"Not really." He continued beating the lifeless bag.

"It might be good for you." She didn't get a response. "You can't keep this inside Jason. You need to get it out. Come on. We have a table if you want to join us." He looked from her to the table his friends were sitting at, knowing full well that he wasn't going to be able to get out of this one.

"All right, I'll come over there. But I don't even want to hear a word about yesterday."

"Agreed." Trini was concerned for her friend. _This isn't like him. The two walked silently towards the table where Billy, Zack, and Kim were seated. Trini shook her head slightly at them, warning them not to mention anything. They all understood. _

"Yo Jase, what's up man?" Zack raised his hand to give Jason a high five. The other teen just took a seat in the empty chair, silently.

"I'll go get our drinks." Kim got up and walked over to Ernie, who handed her their order.

"Hey Kim, what's the matter with Jason. He seems so down. And yesterday he and Tommy looked like they were really going at it."

"It's kinda complicated Ernie."

"Girl troubles?" 

"You could say that." With that she picked up they tray and walked back to the table. Everyone grabbed their drinks. They sat in uncomfortable silence, looking at each other nobody wanting to be the first one to say anything. Trini was about to speak up when they heard an all too familiar beeping. Jason automatically covered his communicator and looked around to make sure nobody heard it. They casually got up and walked over to a secluded spot. 

"Go ahead Zordon." Jason answered.

"Rangers, teleport to the command center immediately."

"On our way." They disappeared in 5 streaks of light.

Tommy stopped for a moment before walking up to the miserable girl sitting beside the lake. 

_She looks horrible. I can't believe Jason is doing this to her._

It had taken him more than an hour to find her. She wasn't at her apartment, or the park, or anywhere else he had checked, so he finally resorted to contacting Alpha and asking him to locate her.  He hadn't even thought to check the lake area. He walked up to her slowly, not wanting to startle her.

"Hey. How are you doing?" He asked. She didn't even look up. "You weren't in class today."

"I was here. I've been here since last night."

"You spent the night out here?" he was shocked. "Why?"

"I didn't feel like going back to my apartment." She was still staring at the water. "I didn't feel like being alone." she added quietly. Tommy sat there silently.

"Erin, look, you just need to give him some time. He will calm down, and he won't be angry anymore. You just have to be pati…."

She finally turned to look at him. 

"Tommy, I'm leaving."

to be continued… soon, I promise. 


End file.
